OneShot Tales
by Exordin
Summary: One-shots done from different prompts. Based mainly on Kenshin/Kaoru pairing.
1. 2AM

**Writing Prompt from 64 Damn Prompts - 2am **

This was utterly ridiculous and not to mention stupid.

But here Megumi was, still awake at 2am despite that horrible and large-percentage-of-her-marks exam that was going to happen tomorrow or rather today.

'_The racoon-girl better appreciate this_.' She thought darkly to herself as she sipped some more of her coffee and went over some notes for some assignments while she waited for Kaoru to return.

The door suddenly clicked and Megumi's head shot up before she quickly made her way to the front door to greet Kaoru who was finally home.

_'But usually when a date for Kaoru goes this long…_' Megumi realised slowly as she drew closer to the door, '_It means something's gone wrong and she's taken her time to get home so she doesn't cry in front of me...'_

A quick calculation and Megumi froze three quarters of the way to the door to realise that if a bad date for Kaoru ended around 11pm.. This was seriously bad.

_'Damn it, should have brought some of the left-over cake!'_ She hissed at herself and began to move back to the kitchen when Kaoru drifted in from the other side of the room causing Megumi to freeze up before finally noticing that Kaoru was looking quite dazed and away with the fairies.

Kaoru on the other hand simply sat down at the couch with not a word of greeting to Megumi and began to smile in a peaceful serene manner while still looking like she was away with the fairies.

_'Whatever this is, it certainly requires left-over cake to deal with_.' Megumi thought sternly to herself and turned to make her way back to the kitchen.

She returned shortly lately to find Kaoru in the same spot and ended up sitting on the lounge chair placing the second plate of left-over cake in front of Kaoru on the table.

_'And racoon-senses strike again._' She smiled smugly as Kaoru's nose twitched before finally leaning forward for the plate before shooting Megumi a grateful look. Megumi simply nodded with a smile still on her face before giving Kaoru 'the look'.

"After taking me to the fanciest restaurant in town," Kaoru began steadily, "He disappeared near dessert to go to the toilet.. It was only until the bill for five hundred dollars came that I realised what had happened.." which caused Megumi nearly choked on her piece of cake before realising that Kaoru wasn't done.

"The waiter didn't believe me, people were staring but then this man with brown spiky hair appears saying that I'm telling he truth and that a guy named Kenshin was taking care of the jerk outback."

Megumi smiled slightly in relief and settled back in the chair feeling relieved that Kaoru had some good luck.

"As he says this, there's a shout from the kitchen and the jerk tumbles out from the kitchen looking like he's been through hell. I'm about to blow up when suddenly the jerk's screaming that I'm just a needy freak of nature to this red haired man who stalks through the kitchen doors after him."

Kaoru, at this point begins to blush and seems to daze off which makes Megumi sigh before snapping her fingers in front of Kaoru's face making the girl blink startled before smiling sheepishly at her.

"And then?" Megumi prodded with a sly smile.

"This red haired man literally growls before saying, 'Your eyes need to be checked. I only see a beautiful girl that I'd give my best kitchen knives to date.'"

Kaoru had mumbled it out but it was still with hearing range. Megumi's eyes bulged and she was grinning ear from ear, "And then?! And then?! Spill more details, racoon girl!" She hissed out and Kaoru turned bright red causing Megumi to get a very bad feeling.

"Kaoru. Please do not tell me that you simply went on your merry way after a man literally acted as your knight in shining armour." Megumi slowly gritted out and then at no response from Kaoru, sighed in disbelief before moving to grab the two plates. If she recruited Misao and some of the other girls for the cause, perhaps they could find this man and convince him that-

"..Actually… I wrote down my name and number then gave it to him."

Megumi froze in the midst of grabbing the two places and looked up at Kaoru who was smiling dazedly before holding out her phone to Megumi while saying, "And I got this text message thirty minutes after leaving the restaurant…I responded instantly despite that 5 minute rule you keep going on about…"

Frankly Megumi couldn't care because on Kaoru's phone was something that made the inner romantic girl in her squeal in glee and think perhaps there was some hope for the male species afterall.

**_'Are you free tomorrow, Miss Kaoru? :) _**_'_


	2. Range

**Writing Prompt from 64 Damn Prompts ****– Range**

"Kaoru."

"Yes…..?"

"This is utterly ridiculous and very stupid."

"While I see your point, shut up."

Misao burst into giggles as Kaoru continued to attempt to meld into the wall and Megumi rolled her eyes before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

Sano had finally appeared from other side of the cafeteria with a large grin on his face, Megumi gave him a sullen glare which made him wince in response.

"Kenshin got held up by a professor but he'll be here shortly." He said with a grin and then gave a side glance to Kaoru, "You ain't getting out of it this time, Missy!"

"You're going to have a boyfriend, you're going to have a boyfriend!" Misao sang with a giggle.

Kaoru simply glared at them both and twitched as she heard a few giggles from a few of the other students.

"Fine but if this must happen then I demand my last meal as a single woman." She said sulkily and everyone looked at Megumi for the ok.

Megumi sighed at Kaoru's dramatic request but nodded so Sano went to get Kaoru a meal.

"Honestly I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this." Megumi said with a sigh.

"I LIKE being single and I certainly don't want my first proper relationship to be with someone like him." Kaoru responded peevishly and Megumi sighed, "He's different."

"Oh, so he's not the infamous Battousai? The infamous lady-killer and use any method to win a sword match Battousai? Pray tell, which Battousai is he now? The cute and cuddly one that wears pink?" She asked dryly and Megumi gave a frustrated sigh before Misao cut in before Megumi lost her temper.

"People grow up. Kenshin did that, you've just got to give him a chance, Kaoru.." Misao said and batted her eyelashes at her with an adorable look on her face.

Kaoru wasn't buying it at all and after a moment Misao snorted before grinning cheekily, "Well never mind, he'll be here soon and you won't be able to turn him down. Torture will be involved if you do."

"I know the rules of the.. '_negotiation'_." Kaoru said with a twitch but the way she stressed out 'negotiation', it was clear that she thought it was anything but that.

"It's your own fault for attempting to find the loophole in the agreement and avoiding Kenshin for so long." Misao said with a giggle and Kaoru smiled smugly at that. If he wasn't within range of hearing, he couldn't ask her out and she wouldn't be obligated to accept. It was really quite ingenious, really.

Sano had finally returned with a plastic tray filled with large amounts of food and Kaoru mentally smiled because it was just what she needed.

Her two 'watchers' gave her looks and they all began to make their way towards one of the cafeteria tables with Sano began humming some funeral hymn until Misao poked him in the ribs.

"Aoshi's eating lunch pretty late…" Kaoru commented offhandly looking at one of the tables and as Misao frowned and turned to look, Kaoru made a break for it, heading straight for the windows.

A jump from the second floor was going to hurt a lot but Kaoru didn't have a B+ in Physical Education for nothing!

There were shrieks but she ignored it as she made her jump, it wasn't until hands wrapped around her and she was pulled against a warm body with the scent of ginger that she realised that the shrieks weren't due to just her jump. Having no other choice, she shut her eyes, clung tightly to him while hoping to god that this was not going to hurt.

After a few seconds, she hesitantly opened her eyes because there was no feeling of wind and then was in disbelief because they were on the ground safe and sound.

Kenshin was holding her bridal style and had stood up properly, "Are you alright, Miss Kaoru?" He asked with a smile.

"..Fine." she managed dazedly and he was letting her down while she attempted to work out. No one, not even freakin Battousai should of been able to manage such a landing.

She stumbled away and began to slowly back away from him wondering how to stop herself from hearing the dreaded question.

The distance between them had lengthened and then Kaoru suddenly realised.

He hadn't said a word.

She looked up at him properly and froze at the sad and almost wistful expression on his face as he stared back at her.

"It will take the others at least another five minutes to get down here, you should hurry." He stated quietly.

She opened her mouth a few times and blinked rapidly in confusion while looking at him bewildered.

His eyes softened at her silent question of _Why? _and he continued to smile warmly at her though now the smile seemed a bit sad which caused her chest to unnaturally tighten making it difficult to breath.

Suddenly this had become complicated and the feeling that perhaps Megumi, Misao and god even Sano were maybe ri-

It was too much for her so she ran and Kenshin simply watched as she left.


	3. Chess

**Writing Prompt from 64 Damn Prompts – Chess**

Not many people knew about his love and (even more surprisingly) his skill for chess.

Megumi had discovered it by pure accident when she'd been checking out a book and his brown spiky hair caught her eye.

"And pray tell, Mr Sagara, what exactly are you doing?" She asked dryly as she approached the table. He gave her a grin and Aoshi his on-going chess partner simply nodded his head in greeting to her before turning his attention back to the chessboard.

"Teaching Aoshi here, how to play chess so I've got someone to play with! It's the third game and he's already making me have to play serious." Sano said and then waggled his eyebrows at Megumi, "And what about you? Finally deciding to stop stalking me and approach me head -ouch!"

"Well what do you know!" Megumi exclaimed with a fake gasp, "Medline Biomedical Journal Literature is good for reading AND shutting you up too!"

Sano scowled and rubbed the back of his head where she'd hit him with the book while Megumi fluttered her eyelashes at him in a girly manner.

"She's here." Aoshi murmured and Sano began to grin in delight. Megumi began to frown and tried to reason that it was simply because she did not approve of Sano and (shockingly enough) Aoshi girl-watching in a place of learning and education.

"Who's here?" Megumi asked somewhat snarky and looked up to see who they were talking about.

"Fox lady, shut up and keep your eyes down or this will not work." Sano hissed and pulled her onto his lap, Megumi squeaked in surprise and she stared at Sano in pure shock but Sano wasn't even looking at her.

"Sano, wha-hold on is that Kaoru?"

Sano gave her a grin and said, "All the pieces are in place, now let's see if Kenshin can manage to finally get the guts to talk to her.."

Megumi blinked a couple of times and involuntarily made herself more comfy on Sano's lap. "Kenshin?"

Sano nodded, "One of the librarians here, thought he would be nice for her."

Megumi gave him a disbelieving look and then looked at Aoshi who nodded his agreement to Sano's statement.

"Hold on….." Megumi began slowly as her head tried to wrap around all the facts, "You two are playing matchmaker with my cousin?"

"Teaching Aoshi how to play chess too but basic-oi! Stop grinning! What the heck is so funny?!" Sano exclaimed and Megumi just shook her head in amusement as she giggled slightly.

"Sano, you are a boy and should not be involved in anyone's, especially a girl's lovelife. Leave the matchmaking to the girls." She said with amusement and Sano snorted in disbelief, "Says you, I think I'm pretty skilled at it actually, look how Kenshin looks at her for one!"

Megumi decided to humour Sano and indeed looked up to see. Kaoru was attempting to look for some book and judging by the scowl on her face, failing miserably while a red haired man was-.

Megumi stared. "Is that man-.."

"-Following her at a safe distance as not to alert of his presence." Aoshi interrupted and stated with quiet amusement.

"I'd call that stalking her, good god, are you two serious?!" she said in disbelief and then to watch her cousin's stalker some more.

"He's just shy, okay?" San protested and then frowned, "But I think it's time to take drastic measures.."

Sano grabbed Megumi's book "Medline Biomedical Journal Literature" ignoring her shriek and threw it.

Megumi's eyes bulged and Sano grinned as the book hit Kenshin on the back of his head sending him stumbling in front of Kaoru who let out a shriek of surprised and whacked Kenshin with the book she was holding.

Sano gawked, "Well I wasn't expecting her to do that."

"If he wasn't brain dead before.." Megumi mumbled in utter horror before firmly deciding there needed to be a law that boys could not act as matchmakers but then her train of thought stopped as Kaoru rushed to Kenshin's side. She was certainly stuttering out apologies as she helped Kenshin up but as their introduction progressed, Megumi saw how Kenshin's was smiling shyly at her, Kaoru was blushing and the way both of them seemed to not make eye contact with other.

"Looks like your book was good for other things too." Sano said with a laugh of triumph.

"We mustn't forget that Kaoru's book was a helper in things too." Aoshi murmured in amusement and Megumi couldn't help but smile at the sweet scene that Kenshin and Karu made together as Kenshin helped her find the books she needed.

"And that, my friends is what you call a check-mate." Sano said with a grin.

"Actually, this would be a double check-mate." Aoshi said with great amusement and Sano blinked at him, "Dude, there's no such thing as a double check-mate."

"There is now." Aoshi replied mysteriously then quietly stood up and left.

Sano blinked in confusion and then looked at Megumi for clarification but then froze. before freezing at her soft warm smile that was directed at him.

"Err-." Sano choked on his words at her warm smile at him and in response Megumi simply blushed before placing a hand on Sano's shoulder pulling herself up at eye level with him.

Sano turned bright red and continued to stare at her quite shocked while making some what squawking random noise. She ignored this to place a finger on his lips and smile slyly at him before leaning in.

"Check-mate." She breathed against his lips.


End file.
